This was the FanCon 2017 Programme.

Below is the detailed programme of panel talks, presentations, interviews & workshops as well as the general programme of activities

All panel talks are free to all attendees but seating may be limited and available on a first come first served basis.

The stage panel talks has seating for aprox. 200 people and the panel room has seating for aprox. 100 people.

All signing sessions are free, but do note artists charge for sketches and commissions.

At signing sessions attendees are limited to 10 items. You may bring along your own comics, graphic novels or books to have signed. A wide variety of comics & graphic novels done by our guests will also be available to purchase at the Official FanCon store.

Saturday 29 April 2017

STAGE

PANEL ROOM

TOP COW @ 25 : THE IMAGE IMPRINT CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

Top Cow Productions, an Image sister company and imprint since the inception of the company in 1992, celebrates 25 years in the comics publishing industry in 2017. Matt Hawkins, President and COO of Top Cow since 1998, takes a frank look at the successes, the challenges the company has faced, and the way the company has adapted to the changing comics scene over the last quarter century, and also gives us a peak into what lies ahead for Top Cow.

Speaker : Matt Hawkins

Format : Interview

Interviewer :Louanne van Riet

Location : Stage

Time : Saturday 11am – 12pm

HUMOUR AND SATIRE IN COMICS

In a comic book industry saturated with superheroes, fantasy, and horror in mainstream comics, biting satire and violent black humour are not typically successful genres. Yet, Eric Powell’s The Goon and John Layman’s Chew both employ dark humour and satire as the basis of their respective series. The Goon and Chew are acclaimed series that have garnered a cult following, and both are the recipient of multiple comic book awards. The two creators discuss their respective series, providing insight into the creative processes, and why they believe their out-of-the-box comic has struck such a cord with a significant part of the comics fanbase.

Speakers : Eric Powell / John Layman

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Les Allen

Location : Stage

Time : Saturday 12pm – 1pm

THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN COMICS

We take a look at the changing representation of women in mainstream comics, how female characters have traditionally been portrayed by both male and female writers and artists, and the recent growth and expansion of female characters in comics, either heading their own titles, or providing strong leads and positive role models. The panelists offer their insight into this topic from their unique vantage points : Lauren Beukes has written strong female characters as leads or prominent characters in almost all of her comics writing (Fairest Hidden Kingdom, Survivors Club); Kay Carmichael is an independent comics creator whose Sophie The Giant Slayer series features a strong female lead character; and Ron Marz has written an extensive run on Witchblade, and has also written one of the most infamous storylines in superhero comics, which spawned the comic book trope, “women in refrigerators”.

Speakers : Lauren Beukes / Ron Marz / Kay Carmichael

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Sally Partridge

Location : Stage

Time : Saturday 1pm – 2pm

PROMOTING AFRICAN CULTURE THROUGH COMICS AND ANIMATION

Vortex Inc. is a Nigerian based creative content company that produces, along with its animation arm, Dream Network, a diverse range of comic titles, cartoons and animated shorts, and boasts a readership of over 100k readers in Nigeria. Vortex is keen to export African culture through its comics and animated work, and its philosophy and goal is to create stories that are not only entertaining, but also socially relevant. Somto Ajuluchukwu, Vortex Creative Director, and Mike Kayode, Head of Production and Animation, offer their insight and discuss their commitment to producing work that their audience can relate to in a meaningful way.

Speakers : Somto Ajuluchukwu / Mike Kayode

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Su Opperman

Location : Stage

Time : Saturday 2pm – 3pm

BREAKING INTO INTERNATIONAL COMICS

Sean Izaakse, Lauren Beukes, and Dale Halvorsen are three local comic creators who have successfully broken into the international comics scene. All three are receiving regular work by some of the top international publishers, DC, Vertigo, Marvel, and 2000AD. Izaakse recently did artwork on Deadpool, Avengers, and Thunderbolts for Marvel, while Beukes and Halvorsen have found success working on Survivors Club and 2000AD, writing as a collaborative team. They discuss how they made the initial break into working for these top publishers, and their experiences collaborating with well- respected creators in the industry.

Speakers : Sean Izaakse / Lauren Beukes / Dale Halvorsen

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Les Allen

Location : Stage

Time : Saturday 3pm – 4pm

SOUTH AFRICAN PHOTO COMICS

Tessa ! Ruiter in Swart ! Die Swart Luiperd ! Eerste Liefde ! A comic book genre unique to South Africa were the black and white photo comics produced between the early 1960s and mid 1980s by Durban based publisher, Republican Press. Totally kitsch and off the wall, these books are now incredibly difficult to source, and are desirable collectable items, with many South Africans of a certain age fondly remembering these items as a throwback to a bygone era. Pieter Miller, an avid collector and knowledgeable expert on SA photo comics, takes us on a tour of these remarkable comic books, their astonishing history, the actors and actresses that featured in them, and informs us about a recent resurrection of SA photo comics.

Speaker : Pieter Miller

Format : Interview

Interviewer : Andrew Lamprecht

Location : Panel Room

Time : Saturday 11am – 12pm

STARTING A CAREER IN CONCEPT ART

Andrew Avvakoumides teaches Concept Art short courses at Friends of Design : Academy of Digital Arts, one of Cape Town’s leading digital training institutions, and has many years of experience in illustration and concept art. He will do a presentation about starting your career as a concept artist, what it takes and what are the fields and industries you can work in.

Speaker : Andrew Avvakoumides

Format : Presentation

Location : Panel Room

Time : Saturday 12pm – 1pm

BUILDING WORLDS THROUGH ANIMATION

Tulips and Chimneys is a Cape Town-based creative studio specializing in concept development and creating visuals for films, digital and print media. In this session they’ll share the worlds they’ve created over the last 10 years. Ree Treweek, creative director of Tulips and Chimneys, presents.

Find out how to make meticulous and detailed weapons for your cosplay. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced cosplayer, you’re sure to learn something new, as cosplay guest, Tayla Barter ( Kinpatsu Cosplay ), a specialist in the making of amazing weapons and accessories, presents this cosplay workshop and offers all the useful tips and tricks of the trade.

Speaker : Tayla Barter

Format : Workshop

Location : Panel Room

Time : Saturday 2pm – 3pm

THE DANGERS OF COSPLAY ON THE INTERNET

Tips and Advice on How to Avoid Bad Situations. The internet is a great platform to interact with fans anywhere in the world, and to share cosplay pics, but it can pose a problem when anyone, anywhere can see your photos and react on them. What happens when your pics get stolen by some unknown website ? What do i do when a fan gets a bit more fanatic than I want him/her to be ? Is it really a good idea to show yourself in very sexy costumes ? Cosplay guest, Calssara discusses all of this and more, on this very topical issue.

Speaker : Calssara

Format : Presentation

Location : Panel Room

Time : Saturday 3pm – 4pm

THE ART OF THE COVER

The singular most important piece of artwork in a comic, magazine, or book is the cover art and design. This is the first image or visual that attracts and catches the eye of the reader and potential buyer to an item. Warren Louw is a popular and prolific artist who has illustrated a variety of covers on comic books and gaming magazines, while Dale Halvorsen is an award-winning book cover designer, and has designed many of the covers of best-selling author Lauren Beukes’ novels. The two artists share their respective creative processes, style and approach to creating striking cover artwork and design.

Speakers : Warren Louw / Dale Halvorsen

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Andrew Lamprecht

Location : Panel Room

Time : Saturday 4pm – 5pm

GAME DESIGN : INDUSTRY BUILDING THROUGH UPLIFTMENT

Designing games to educate and uplift people in townships, and designing board games to teach people their constitutional rights, is a radical departure from the general industry approach to gaming, but can become quite significant in the South African industry in the long run.

A panel about industry building through upliftment and the sort of challenges people face in the non-American environment that is South Africa due to our unique economy and demographic makeup. Recently, Serious About Games launched a competition that saw R1 million being awarded for the development of a Serious About Games to deal with community issues in the Western Cape, so the idea is finding traction in the industry.

Speakers : Tsitsi Chiumya / Regina Kgatle / Dorianne Dutrieux

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Zaid Kriel

Location : Panel Room

Time : Saturday 5pm – 6pm

Sunday 30 April 2017

STAGE

PANEL ROOM

BECOMING AN INTERNATIONAL COSPLAYER

Thousands of fans attend conventions and geek events all over the world in costume play, or “cosplay” as its popularly known, but only a select few manage to break into the cosplay scene as professional cosplay artists, have massive followings on social media platforms, and who are invited by conventions all over the world as cosplay guests. FanCon 2017’s two invited cosplay guests gives us the lowdown on what it takes to become an international cosplayer : Calssara, an international cosplayer from Germany, has attended over 40 conventions in 34 countries as an invited guest; and Kinpatsu Cosplay (Tayla Barter), South Africa’s premier cosplayer, with a massive social media following from all over the world, has recently began attending international events as a cosplay guest.

Speakers : Calssara / Tayla Barter

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Baka Sakura

Location : Stage

Time : Sunday 11am – 12pm

LIKE, COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE - PANEL ON YOUTUBE

The words every YouTuber knows to say and ends off their videos with, is the beginning of this panel. Three epic local YouTubers will share what they liked and made them want to begin YouTube, their comments around how they make content and how to build communities of subscribers. Whether you're new to YouTube or going to be taking footage of Fancon for your channel or just want to listen to these YouTubers speak IRL, this panel is for you, to learn and grow from three very different creators and their experiences. A great game master, a gamer and a bard all walk into a panel and want you to like, comment and attend their panel.

Speakers : Chani_ZA / Guy Sclanders / Kelly Kikx

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Carla Harris

Location : Stage

Time : Sunday 12pm – 1pm

MAKING ARMORED COSTUMES FOR COSPLAY

FanCon guest Tayla Barter ( Kinpatsu Cosplay ) is renowned for her amazing array of cosplay costumes, and she is particularly skilled at creating awesome armored costumes. In this workshop, Tayla presents a workshop on the making of different types of armored costumes, the materials required, how and where to source difficult to access products such as worbla, and discusses the art of illusion in creating armored costumes.

Speaker : Tayla Barter

Format : Workshop

Location : Stage

Time : Sunday 4pm – 5pm

COSPLAYERS NEED PHOTOS : HOW DO I GET GOOD PHOTOS OF MY COSTUMES

Taking great pics of your cosplay costumes is important for any cosplayer, as posed photographs of you in costume on your social media platforms will be the place where most people get to see your cosplay skills and craftmanship. Cosplay guest Calssara, who uses her own camera equipment and edits her photos herself, offers her advice and tips on how to take the best possible photos, and make the most of your camera equipment.

Speaker : Calssara

Format : Presentation

Location : Stage

Time : Sunday 5pm- 6pm

ANIMATION IN AFRICA

This panel takes a look at the state of the animation industry in Africa, what the unique features are of production on the continent, and raises questions about how it compares with the rest of the world. The answers might surprise you. Mike Kayode, Head of Animation and Production of Dream Network, the animation arm of Nigeria based content company, Vortex Inc; Ree Treweek, multimedia artist and Creative Director of Cape Town based creative studio, Tulips and Chimneys; and Stuart Forrest, CEO of Triggerfish Animation Studios, gives us an overview of the state of the industry in their respective locales and on the African continent as a whole.

Speakers : Mike Kayode / Ree Treweek / Stuart Forrest

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Dianne Makings

Location : Panel Room

Time : Sunday 11am – 12pm

CREATOR OWNED COMICS

The concept of creator owned comics has become increasingly popular in the industry, with comic creators retaining full ownership of the comics and characters they create, while often still being published by corporate publishers, or under imprints of large commercial publishers. Matt Hawkins, Ron Marz, John Layman, and Eric Powell are all writers and artists who are either involved with an imprint at a larger publisher or head their own independent publishing company, and all have creator owned work under their belt. The panel offers a frank look at the concept of creator owned rights, the pros and cons of creator owned comics, and whether it is indeed a viable commercial alternative within the industry.

Speakers : Matt Hawkins / Ron Marz / John Layman / Eric Powell

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Louanne van Riet

Location : Panel Room

Time : Sunday 12pm – 1pm

WHERE ARE THE BLACK SUPERHEROES ?

The superhero genre, emerging out of the depression era United States, has become a global phenomenon and has now found an even wider audience with the explosion of blockbuster Hollywood movies. So this begs the question : why are black superheroes so hard to find, particularly in Africa, where you would expect them to be flying around. However, two comic professionals from Africa have indeed created black superheroes : Loyiso Mkize, founder of his own visual arts company, has created the South African superhero, Kwezi; and Somto Ajuluchukwu, CEO and Creative Director of Vortex Inc, is the brains behind a slew of black superhero titles published in Nigeria. The speakers address this burning issue, and discuss their work.

Speakers : Loyiso Mkize / Somto Ajuluchukwu

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Mohale Mashigo

Location : Panel Room

Time : Sunday 1pm – 2pm

WITCHBLADE : A FEMALE ICON

Witchblade is one of the most iconic comic book series featuring a female heroine. The fantasy series made a splash when it was launched in 1995, featuring art by comics legend, the late Michael Turner, and remained the flagship title of Top Cow throughout the 1990s and beyond, until its cancellation in 2015. We discuss the iconic character, her longevity in an industry with few long-running female lead characters, and her upcoming return in both print and screen with two professionals closely involved with the Witchblade series : Matt Hawkins, publisher of Top Cow, and Ron Marz, famed for an extensive run as writer of the series.

Speaker : Ron Marz / Matt Hawkins

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Les Allen

Location : Panel Room

Time : Sunday 2pm – 3pm

CREATING COMICS IN SOUTH AFRICA

A round table discussion by some of South Africa’s professional comic creators about the state of comic creation in South Africa, and the challenges faced by local writers and artists with regards to production, distribution, and marketing.

Speakers : Karl Mostert / Loyiso Mkize / Sean Izaakse

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Su Opperman

Location : Panel Room

Time : Sunday 3pm – 4pm

WRITING DUO : THE COMICS OF LAUREN BEUKES AND DALE HALVORSEN

Best-selling novelist and writer, Lauren Beukes, and award-winning cover designer, Dale Halvorsen, have established themselves as a collaborative writing team on a variety of comics. The writing team made their debut on a short story for DC Vertigo, and made a gory splash with their stylish horror series, Survivors’ Club, for Vertigo. Beukes and Halvorsen’s next collab is a contribution to the landmark 2000AD 40 th Anniversary Special, to be released in April. The team discuss the creative process behind their work and gives us a peak into the influences on their particular brand of horror fiction.

Speakers : Lauren Beukes / Dale Halvorsen

Format : Panel Discussion

Moderator : Diane Awerbuck

Location : Panel Room

Time : Sunday 4pm – 5pm

RPG : HOW TO TELL A GOOD STORY

You want to write a book/comic/script/play/skit/short story/adventure for your role playing group. But you start and you don't finish, or you don't start or you don't finish starting, or you start at the finish and never get to the start... Join Guy Sclanders - acclaimed storyteller, scriptwriter, Great Game Master and part time starter/finisher - for an interactive hour where he unpacks some novel ways to getting your story off the ground, regardless of it's platform. Packed full of tips and simple tricks to help focus, define, refine your story, there is something for every level of story creationist!

Speaker : Guy Sclanders

Format : Workshop

Location : Panel Room

Time : Sunday 5pm-6pm

Monday 1 May 2017

STAGE

PANEL ROOM

HOW DO I BREAK INTO COMICS 101

If you want to know what it takes to break into the professional comics industry as a writer or artist, then this panel presentation is for you ! Matt Hawkins, Top Cow Productions head honcho, mentor, editor and writer; and Ron Marz, editor and writer for over 20 years at multiple top publishers, gives you the low down and guidelines to help you break into the highly competitive industry as a creator. Both panelists are industry pro’s with decades of experience between the two of them, and they offer their sound advice to help you break into comics.

Speakers : Matt Hawkins / Ron Marz

Format : Presentation

Location : Stage

Time : Monday 11am – 12pm

FROM BATMAN TO CHEW : THE COMICS OF JOHN LAYMAN

John Layman, in addition to being the creator and writer of multi-award winning Image series, Chew, is also a prolific writer and letterer who has worked for most of the top publishers over the last 18 years. He began his writing career at DC Wildstorm, and went on to write Cyclops and Gambit for Marvel, worked on various licensed properties such as He-Man, Xena, Judge Dredd, Godzilla, and Mars Attacks, a 2 year run on Batman in Detective Comics, and currently writes Eleanor & the Egret for new independent publisher, Aftershock Comics. Layman talks about his extensive and diverse career, his experience working with different publishers and artist collaborators, and what we can expect after the successful Chew recently concluded.

Speaker : John Layman

Format : Interview

Interviewer : Louanne van Riet

Location : Stage

Time : Monday 12pm – 1pm

BUILDING A BETTER HALO : FAN CREATED CONTENT AND THE DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES OF HALO Spv3

Revisiting Halo CE from a new perspective. A discussion on the ethos and ideas that went into the fan created Spv3 project. Halo Spv3 is a complete overhaul of the first Halo, incorporating elements from the sequels, books, and other media into a cohesive sandbox.

Speaker : Daniel Baylis

Format : Presentation

Location : Stage

Time : Monday 1pm – 2pm

COSPLAY SKITS : FROM COSTUME TO CHARACTER

Carla Harris aka Meme Le Meow will host an information session around creating skits that show off your character and move away from just replicating the character. Bring your characters to life as Carla shares tips and tricks that will make your skits as awesome as your cosplays. As a professional performer Carla has created and embodied various characters and uses cosplay as her way to pay homage to the characters she loves. Stand out from the crowd and don’t just have a costume, be a character. Carla is joined by fellow cosplayers Baka Sakura and Sin Bin.

Speakers : Carla Harris / Baka Sakura / Sin Bin

Format : Workshop

Location : Panel Room

Time : Monday 11am – 12pm

PRO PROP PRODUCTION FOR COSPLAY

Have you ever wanted to make a replica of a prop you've seen in your favorite game, anime or movie? This talk will introduce you to the principles and techniques that can be used to plan, produce and finish amazing props and replicas with an emphasis on convention and cosplay safe props. We will cover a range of different materials including eva foam, wood and pepakura.

Speaker : Justin Runyowa

Format : Presentation

Location : Panel Room

Time : Monday 12pm – 1pm

DRAWING COMICS WITH ERIC POWELL

Eric Powell is a multi-award winning writer and artist, most noted for his critically acclaimed series, The Goon. In this presentation we focus on the artwork of Eric Powell, who is an amazing penciler, a wizard with a brush, and shows a great sense of color and composition in his painting. Gain an insight into the creative process of this talented artist, and you will also have the opportunity to pick the brain of the goon guy himself !

Speaker : Eric Powell

Format : Presentation

Location : Panel Room

Time : Monday 1pm – 2pm

THE ART OF WARREN LOUW

Warren Louw is a celebrated illustrator and character designer from South Africa, whose ability to create images with meticulous detail and imagination has brought his art to various mobile games, publications, and websites across the globe. He is further recognized for his mastery of renditions of beautiful women and is a perfectionist in his digital illustration. Warren takes us on a tour of his artistic development and career, and gives some insight into his techniques and creative processes.

Speaker : Warren Louw

Format : Interview

Interviewer : Les Allen

Location : Panel Room

Time : Monday 3pm – 4pm

* The programme is correct at time of publishing - any changes that may occur will not reflect in the printed versions, but will be updated on our digital platforms.

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